Hanger clip assembly for a hot top

ABSTRACT

A hanger clip assembly for a hot top including a casing having a skirt around its outer periphery and a number of holes through the casing terminating in recesses provided in the skirt, an insulating lining on the inner surface of the casing and an insulating bottom ring on the bottom of the casing, the assembly including a plug having a shank which is inserted into each of the holes in the casing and a cap seated on the outer surface of the casing and a wire clip attached at one end to the cap and at the other end to the inner periphery of the bottom ring.

United States Patent [1 1 Varrati July 3,1973

[73] Assignee: Thlem Corporation, Milwaukee,

- Wis.

[22] Filed: Aug. 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 174,185

Related US. Application Data [75] lnventor:

[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 862,871, Oct. 1, 1969,

abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. 249/202 [51] Int. Cl B22d 7/10 [58] Field of Search 249/ 106, 197-202; 248/DIG. 3; 85/28 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,300,077 10/1942 Urmetz 249/106 3,350,052 10/1967 Daley 249/202 X 3,373,047 3/1968 Sheets et al.... 249/202 X 2,626,773 l/l953 Backman 248/DIG. 3

Primary ExaminerRobert D. Baldwin Attorney-Ronald E. Barry and James E. Nilles [5 7] ABSTRACT A hanger clip assembly for a hot top including a casing having a skirt around its outer periphery and a number of holes through the casing terminating in recesses provided in the skirt, an insulating lining on the inner surface of the casing and an insulating bottom ring on the bottom of the casing, the assembly including a plug having a shank which is inserted into each of the holes in the casing and a cap seated on the outer surface of the casing and a wire clip attached at one end to the cap and at the other end to the inner periphery of the bottom ring.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures HANGER CLIP ASSEMBLY FOR A HOT TOP This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 862,871, filed Oct. 1, 1969, which is now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hot tops of the type contemplated herein include a metal casing having preformed insulating panel insert units mounted on the inner surface of the casing and a bottom ring assembly mounted on the lower edge or bottom of the casing. The bottom ring assembly includes a wiper strip around the outer periphery of the bottom ring to form a seal between the hot top and the ingot mold. The bottom ring assembly and liners are retained on the casing by a hanger clip assembly which includes a clip and a cylindrical bushing. The bushing is inserted into holes provided around the lower portion of the casing. The clip underlies the bottom ring assembly and has one end inserted into the cylindrical bushing and the other end positioned to engage the inner surface of the bottom ring. The casing must be stripped and cleaned after each use and the liner, bottom ring and clip replaced. Whenever molten metal enters the openings as a result of the breakdown of the lining, difficulties are encountered in cleaning the bushing. If the bushing is filled with molten metal, it must be replaced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention disclosed herein provides an improved hanger clip assembly for retaining a bottom ring assembly and liner insert unit on a hot top casing. This assembly includes a plug and a clip which is secured to the plug and underlies the bottom ring. The plug has a shank which is adapted to be inserted into the openings in the bottom of the casing and a cap which is seated on the outer surface of the casing. The clip is provided with a hook at one end shaped to engage a groove or recess provided around the outer periphery of the cap and an inner leg or tail which underlies the bottom ring and is bent upward at the end to engage the inner periphery of the bottom ring. The shank of the plug completely fills the openings in the casing preventing molten metal from passing through the openings. The cap on the plug is protected from damage by a skirt provided around the outer periphery of the casing which is cut out around the plug to form a protective canopy.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a section of a hot top showing the hanger clip assembly of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the section of the hot top shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hanger clip assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Hot tops of the type disclosed herein are commonly referred to as floating type hot tops which are mounted at the top of an ingot mold. These hot tops generally include a metal casing 10, a liner insert unit 12 and a refractory bottom ring assembly 14. The insert unit 12 and bottom ring assembly 14 are retained in the casing by means of a hanger clip assembly 16. The liner insert unit 12 and bottom ring assembly 14 are both consummable parts of the hot top which must be replaced after each use.

The casing 10 is cast as a single unit having a skirt 18 around the outer periphery of the casing. The skirt is spaced upwardly from the bottom or lower edge 20 of the casing a distance sufficient to allow the casing to float on the surface of the molten metal in the ingot mold. A number of notches or recesses 22 are provided in the skirt 18 on the outer surface 24 of the casing. A hole or opening 26 is provided through the casing from the inner surface 28 into each of the recesses 22.

The liner insert unit 12 includes a number of refractory insulting panels 30 either separately inserted into the casing 10 or hingedly interconnected for insertion as a single unit. The panels can be made of refractory material or fibrous material and coated with an exothermic material. A flange 32 is provided across the bottom of each of the panels 30 and extends beyond the bottom edge 20 of the casing when the panel is inserted into the casing.

The bottom ring assembly 14 is substantially similar to the assembly shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,308. This assembly includes a ring 35 molded from a refractory material and has a groove 34 in the upper surface 36 of the ring 35 and a ledge 42 on the inner surface 44 of the ring 35. A wiper strip 38 is mounted on the outer lower edge of the bottom ring 35 and includes a wiper blade 40 which extends upwardly and outwardly to engage the wall of the ingot mold.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for retaining the bottom ring assembly 14 and liner insert 12 on the casing 10 in the form of the hanger clip assembly 16 which includes a plug 46 and a clip 48. The plug 46 has a shank 45 which is adapted to be inserted into the holes 26 in the casing. The shank 45 of the plug has an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the openings 26 in the casing to completely plug the opening 26 when the plug is positioned in the opening. A snug fit is provided between the shank 45 and the opening 26 by means of a knurled section 52 provided on the shank 45. An outer enlarged portion or cap 50 is provided at the end of the shank 45. The plug is forced into the openings 26 until the cap 50 seats on the outer surface 24 of the casing.

The bottom ring assembly is secured to the casing by means of clips 48 which are made from a wire bent at 56 to form a base leg 58 and a face leg 60. The clip 48 is secured to the cap 50 on the grommet by means of a hook 62 provided at the end of the face leg 60. The hook 62 is curved to conform to the outer diameter of the head or cap 50. Means are provided for retaining the hook 62 on the cap 50 in the form of a recess or groove 54 in the cap 50. The hook 62 is slotted in the groove prior to attaching the clip 48 to the bottom ring assembly. Although shown as a recess or groove, a slot or flange 54 could also be used to retain the hook on the cap 50.

The clip 48 is secured to the bottom ring assembly 14 by means of an inner leg or tail 64 provided at the end of the base leg 58 which is bent inwardly at 66 to en gage the ledge 42 on the inner surface 44 of the bottom ring. The hanger clip assembly 16 is protected from damage by means of the recesses 22 provided in the skirt 18 which form a canopy around the caps 50.

In assemblying the hot top, the casing 10 is inverted or placed upside down on the floor. A liner insert unit 12 is inserted into the casing either as a single unit or by independent panels to protect the inside surface 28 of the casing. A bottom ring assembly 14 is placed on the bottom edge 20 of the casing with the flange 32 on the panel 30 seated in the groove 34 in the bottom ring 35. The hook 62 on the clip 48 is positioned in the recess 22 and pulled upward until the hook seats on the annular recess 54 in the cap 50. The base leg 58 is placed against the-bottom of the bottom ring 35 and the inner leg 64 pushed downward into engagement with the ledge 42. A clip 48 is attached to each of the plugs on the casing. There are usually two plugs on each side of the casing. The casing is then picked up and turned over.

The liner insert unit 12, bottom ring assembly 14 and clip 48 are replaced after each use. The plug only has to be changed if damaged or worn.

I claim:

1. The combination of a hollow piece hot top casing having a skirt extending outwardly around the outer periphery of said casing and being spaced upwardly from the bottom thereof, a number of recesses in said skirt, a plurality of inwardly extending holes through the casing, each of said holes terminating in one of said recesses, an insulating liner insert unit on the inside surface of said casing, a bottom ring assembly including a bottom ring positioned on the bottom of the casing and extending inward to support said insert unit, a plurality of plugs corresponding to the number of holes in said casing, each plug having a shank inserted into and completely plugging each of said holes and an enlarged cap extending outwardly from said casing within said recess, said cap including an arcuate recess around the outer periphery thereof, and a hanger clip having a hook removably seated in the arcuate recess in the enlarged cap of each of said plugs, each clip having a base leg underlying said bottom ring. 

1. The combination of a hollow one piece hot top casing having a skirt extending outwardly around the outer periphery of said casing and being spaced upwardly from the bottom thereof, a number of recesses in said skirt, a plurality of inwardly extending holes through the casing, each of said holes terminating in one of said recesses, an insulating liner insert unit on the inside surface of said casing, a bottom ring assembly including a bottom ring positioned on the bottom of the casing and extending inward to support said insert unit, a plurality of plugs corresponding to the number of holes in said casing, each plug having a shank inserted into and completely plugging each of said holes and an enlarged cap extending outwardly from said casing within said recess, said cap including an arcuate recess around the outer periphery thereof, and a hanger clip having a hook removably seated in the arcuate recess in the enlarged cap of each of said plugs, each clip having a base leg underlying said bottom ring. 